Spiritual Formation

Christian ministry requires leaders who are sensitive to the presence of God in their own lives and in the lives of those with whom they are called to serve. Through daily worship, prayer, study, spiritual direction, and quiet days, the Daniel Institute seeks to develop in its students such an awareness and pattern of life. 

Ministerial Formation

This component of the Bachelor of Divinity program comprises of two elements: The first consists of sessions that focus on the development of ministerial skills and perspectives. These sessions complement students’ academic formation with opportunities for input, reflection and group discussion on such topics as ministerial ethics, collaborative ministry, youth ministry, counseling skills, family dynamics, and conflict management, cross-cultural missions, etc. The second element of the ministerial formation component is the student‘s participation in the formation opportunities at the Daniel Institute and/or the student‘s religious community, which should include spiritual direction, regular faith-sharing in a small group, days of prayer, participation in liturgy and an annual retreat. 

Students will be evaluated on ministerial competence. This evaluation will be done for students in religious communities by the appropriate formation authority in the community (e.g. Daniel Institute Chaplain, Formation Director). For lay students, the evaluation will be done by the Ministerial Evaluation Team at the Institute. 

Personal Development and Internship is that area of theological education in which the theory of the classroom is tested and applied in the life and ministry of the church. The purpose of field education is to provide opportunities for Bachelor of Divinity students to exercise and improve their gifts and skills and to equip them with diversified backgrounds of firsthand experience in the service to which God has called them.

Four (4) internship/placements sessions are required, at least 160 hours each. At least two of the placements sites must be a local church.

The field experience credit may be earned as a vacation student assistant to a pastor, a student supply in a vacant pulpit, a pastoral internship, a missionary internship, a campus ministry internship, work with a parachurch organization, ministry in parks and vehicles, youth ministry, evangelistic ministry in a local church, school chaplaincy, hospital chaplaincy, prison ministry, teaching home Bible classes, or other similar ministries. Upon completion of this requirement, an evaluation report is to be submitted to the Director of Field Education by a field supervisor (usually a pastor, an elder, or an evaluation committee).

This program requires the completion of the Green Book, DI’s Internship and Skill Development Logbook.